Electric-railway crossing.



'PATBNTBD vMAY -31 1904.

N0 MODEL -zsHEBTS-BHEET 1.

A A sHoBE a; w. EMBLEYl A ELECTRIC lRAILWAY vCROSSING. APPLICATION FILEDy 'BEPTVl 26.' 1903.

ESS!! witg ' No. 761,549. PA'I'EIT'IED MAY 31, 1904.

- f A. A. sHoBE C w. -LMBLVC ELECTRIC RAILWAY CROSSING.

v APLLICATICN FILED CEPT. 2C. 1eoa. No MODEL.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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' UNITED STATESv Patented May 31, 1904.

PATENT; OFFICE. I

-ABRAHAM A. sI-IoBE ANL wILLIAM EMBLEY, oF .IERsEYvILLn ILLINOIS.

ELECTRIC-RAILWAY, CROSSING'.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentrNo. 761,549, dated May 31, 1904. Application filed September 26, 1903, Serial-No. 174,810. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom t concern: c Be it known that we, ABRAHAM A. SHoBE' ,and WILLIAM EMBLEY, citizens of the United States, residing at-Jerseyville, in the county of Jersey and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Electric-Railway Crossing, of which the following is a specification.

- This invention relates to certain improvements in electric railways of that general class 1n which the conductors are arranged 1n un derground conduits. l

' l'The principal object of the invention is to provide an improved arrangement of the current-conductors at points where railway-lines illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and` intersect, so that the circuits of the lines may be kept independent and short-circuiting prevented. j

A still further object of the invention is to -providea novel form of support for the intersecting conductors and to4 so arrange the connection as to permit longitudinal expansion and contraction of the conductors.

With these and other objects in view, as will more fully hereinafter appear, the invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described,

particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportions,`size, and minor details of the structure may be made Without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any `ofthe, advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectionalelevation of an electric-railway crossing constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.

the crossing on the line 3 3 Vof Fig. 2. Fig. 4: is a detail perspective view illustrating the manner in which the conductors cross each other, the supportsand the insulating material being removed. Fig. 5 is asimilar view of the cover of the supportand insulatorholder detached. Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the supporting-plate for the box or crossing. Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional elevation of a portion of the device on the line 7 7 'of Fig. 3.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures ofthe drawings.

In the drawings, 1 designates a portion of a vertical wall of an underground conduit as lseen at the intersection of two roads, the positive conductors being indicated; at 2 and the negativeconductors at 3. .At the intersectlowing the contour of the lower plate 5 and ,Y

substantially rectangular in form. This box has suitable outer walls 9 and is provided with inner walls 10, following the contour of thek central drainageopening 6 ofthe plate. AThis box serves tocontain an `insulating material 12and is covered by'a top piece 13 of approximately the same shape as the box, the kupper surface of said top piece being provided withinclined beveledportions around the sev- -eral openings and recesses in order to more eifectually shed the water.

The positive conductor 2. is in the form of a T-rail, as shown'in the drawings, and terminates at points adjacent to the supportingplate of the frame 4, kand the ends of the alining and spaced sections of the conductor are lconnected by a bar 14, having slotted end portions so arrangedpas to embrace the horizonvQtalweb of the positive Aconductors 2. The Fig. 3 vis a transverse sectional elevation of."l

properties, and its upper edges after embrac- ,ing the edge portions ofthe main conductor i are turned downward and are held from lateral play by means of non-conducting supports 17. The supports 17 are preferably formed of wood and are extended from end to end of the road. Each support comprises a pair of bars having grooves 18 in their adjacent walls, these grooves serving to receive a T-shaped lower headof a clip 19, that is riveted or otherwise permanently secured to the vertical IOO web of the main conductor 2, the clips being arranged at intervals and permitting free longitudinal movement of the main conductor when expansion or contraction occurs from thermal changes. The end clip serves to hold both the main conductor and the connectingbar in proper relative position, while the open end of the bar will permit of the necessary longitudinal movement of said main conductor.

The bar is introduced through the top member 13 and passes through the insulating material in the box and thence upward to an opening in the opposite side of the top member to its connection with the opposite T- shaped conductor. The construction and arrangement of the crossing part of the bar are similar' to that already described, the crossing-bars arranged within the box being disposed in different horizontal planes and protected by the insulating material.

The negative or return conductors are T- shaped in cross-section and their vertical webs terminate outside the box or casing, the horizontal webs being bent downward below the general level of the cond-uctors and extended through suitable openings in the box-cover, being thence passed through the insulating material, the conductors being disposed at different levels, so as not to interfere with each other.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is- 1. In an electric-railway crossing, the combination with conductors arranged in intersecting lines, of a box or casing containing insulating material disposed at the point of intersection, and overlapping strips of conducting material'arranged in said box or casing and connected to said conductors.

2. In an electric-railway-crossing connection, a box or easing, insulating material contained therein, and crossing and overlapping conducting members supported by the insulating material and having their ends projecting from said box or casing.

3. In an electric-railway crossing, a box or casing having drainage openings or recesses, insulating material contained in the box or casing, overlapping conducting members protected by the insulating material and having ,their ends projecting from the box, and a cover having beveled or inclined portions forming watersheds leading to said drainage openings or recesses.

4. In an electric-railway crossing, a box or casing having a central opening and provided with a plurality of marginal recesses, insulating material disposed within said box or casing, a cover-plate having inclined or beveled portions for directing -water to the central opening and the several recesses,and conducting members extending through the insulating material and having their opposite ends protruding from the box or easing.

5. In an electric-railway crossing, the combination with metallic conductors, of a casing containing insulating material, anda conducting-bar having its intermediate portion embedded in the insulating material, the opposite ends of said bar being open and embracing the main conductors to thereby permit free longitudinal movement of the latter.

6. In an electric-railway crossing, the combination with metallic conductors, ol a casing containing insulating material, a conductingbar having its opposite end portion opened and embracing the ends of the main conductors, and means for preventing lateral play of the end portion of said bar.

7. In an electric-railway crossing, the combination with a pair of slotted supporti n g-bars formed of non-conducting material, a main conductor of T-shape form in cross-section,

a clip connected to the vertical web of the T and having a T-shaped head portion adapted to the grooves of the support, a cross-box containing insulating material, and a conductingbar having its intermediate portion embedded in insulating material, the end portion of said bar being opened to embrace the horizontal web of the T-shaped bar, the edges of said conductor being turned down or anged to fit between the two portions of the support.

8. In an electric-railway crossing, a conduitsupporting frame, a plate carried thereby and provided with a central opening and a plurality of margin al recesses, a box or casin g having a corresponding opening and corresponding recesses, said box or casing being supported -by the plate, a cover carried by the box or casing and also provided with an opening and recesses, insulating material disposed within the box or casing, and conducting members buried in the insulating material and overlapping members having their opposite ends protruding from the box or casing.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have hereto aiiixed our signatures in the presence oi' two witnesses.

ABRAHAM A. SHOBE WILLIAM EMBLEY. Witnesses:

BENJ. WEDDING, PAUL M. HAMILTON.

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